Many flat building roofs have parapet walls or walls that project above the perimeter around the edges of the roof. The parapet wall in turn usually has a cap over the top of the wall and extending partially down each side of the wall for sealing the top of the wall. This cap is made of a variety of materials including sheet metal. In many cases, in order to access the roof a ladder must be raised to the side of the parapet wall and the person trying to access the roof will have to step onto and over the wall from the ladder. Such a maneuver can be dangerous under the best conditions and especially so if the cap is wet from dew, rain snow, sleet or ice.
The concept of utilizing a mat over a surface to increase traction is well known. Various designs of mats for use in roofing settings have been put forth. U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,676 to Merriman et al. discloses a slip resistant floor mat for use on angled roofs. The mat includes a layered anti-slip surface with cloth reinforcing strip. The mat is held in place by hooks attached to the mat at one end.
Another example is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,245 to Turner in which a portable roof mat is disclosed. This mat is designed to be utilized on roof surfaces to create a walkway on a roof.
Other safety mat designs have incorporated features pertaining to how the anti-slip surface is to be designed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,356 to Shoemaker et al. discloses a specific pattern of raised projections for supplying traction.